Guilt Trip
by BlackHeartsxxRedSpades926
Summary: Can being put through a guilt trip help Piper win Leo back? Alternate version of The Seven Year Witch. Rated T for language. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed. Honestly, that was kind of obvious even before you opened this, right? I mean, how many fourteen year olds do you know that own their own television shows? Thats what I thought. **

**Author's Note: I had some free time on my hands and the idea for this popped into my head. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.  
**

Piper had collapsed just in front of the stairs. Within the next moment however, she was up and walking around. That's when she turned to look behind her, only to see herself, on the floor face down, having collapsed. "Oh no. Am I dead _again_?" was all she had to say.

Just then she heard deep laughter from the next room. Piper walked over to the dining room where she'd heard the laughter. What, or rather who, she saw contorted the confused expression on her gorgeous face into one of pure rage. "You!" she bellowed. "Yes, me." replied the bearded man. Piper stood, her mouth agape. "You sick bastard, how dare you, I want you out of my sight RIGHT NOW!" She was met with silence.

"Don't make me vanquish your sorry ass!" she said, meaning every word.

"Oh come now, you can't vanquish me, I'm already dead. Not to mention I've been sent to help you navigate a way out of the void. My purpose, I guess you could say, is to guide you." he retorted. Piper scoffed.

"What dumbass greater power decided of all the deceased beings I know, that you should be the one to 'guide' me as you so eloquently put it?"

"It doesn't matter what power was behind it, it matters that I'm here and for the very reason you just demonstrated."

"What reason is that?" Piper asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"I'm here simply for you to vent all the frustrations you have with me." he replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Let me get this straight, you're saying that I'm stuck in the void between life and death with a man I can't stand, simply to bitch at you?" Piper ranted.

"In a nutshell, yes."

"Well that's just great! Great, great, great!" Piper rambled on sarcastically.

"Oh, I'm hurt, who would you rather be in the void with?" asked the man, feigning insult at the prospect of being unwanted.

"Well, the obvious answer is I don't want to be in the void at all, then Prue. After that, Mom, then maybe Grams, though for a dead woman she visits quite often. And if those three aren't available options, pretty much everyone above you. Hell, I'd settle for Cole, or even at this point, Jeremy!" Piper retorted. The man laughed. "What's so funny?" Piper growled.

"Nothing, its just amusing that you have a list for occasions such as these." the man replied, whilst continuing to laugh.

"Well, you never know what to prepare for when you're a Charmed One." Piper quipped. Piper sighed, this wasn't getting her anywhere, she wanted out of this void and she wanted out now. "Well then, if what I'm meant to do is bitch, then I might as well start bitching!" Piper began after a considerable silence passed between the two.

"Go ahead." was his only reply.

**Author's Note: I do plan on updating regularly, and yes, if you haven't already guessed who the man is, you will find out in the next chapter. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:I do not own Charmed. I own seasons one through seven on DVD and three Charmed books, but I do not own the rights to the actual television show. **

**Author's Note: Thanks to all who reviewed the first chapter, and sorry for the wait. I meant to have this up last Wednesday, but it just didn't work out that way. Enjoy. **

"Okay, well then I just have one question." Piper asked, she wasn't quite sure if she really wanted to know the answer.

"By all means, ask away." The man gave a cryptic smile. Piper couldn't tell whether this flustered or angered her. "Why'd you do it?" she asked in a mousy voice, barely audible.

"I truly believed it was for the greater good. And I'm stubborn enough to believe that even in death!"

"You're a smug bastard, Gideon. You murdered my son!"

"Hmm, so the realization finally hits!" Gideon replied with a smirk.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Piper asked, angry and bewildered.

"Oh nothing." He paused, as if trying to find the appropriate words. "It's just that you're finally admitting he's gone. You're no longer in denial about him 'being' with you. The truth is you're worried that as he grows he'll have changed, and it'll be all on your shoulders." Gideon replied chillingly.

Piper didn't have the time or the patience to deal with this; she had two children to tend to and a club to run. What Piper was refusing to admit to herself was that on top of not having the time or patience to deal with this, she didn't feel she had the heart to. Gideon may as well have been reading her mind, because even though she'd never admit it to a soul outside her own, she feared exactly that. She sighed before attempting to storm up the stairs in search of her own way out. It was then that she placed her foot on the first step only to be propelled backwards.

"Oops, seems I should've warned you about that. For the duration of your stay in the void, you will be forced to stay on this level of the house. You see, because your body's stuck here, your soul is too. That means no going upstairs, no leaving the manor, and you're left with absolutely no way to contact those in the living realm." Gideon answered before she even had the chance to ask. "Besides, why would you want to run from our conversation unless I'd struck a nerve?" Gideon taunted. Piper knew he knew it was true, but she wasn't going to him the satisfaction. She remained silent. "Admit it, Piper, the Chris you knew is no longer here." He said. It vexed Piper even more that he seemed to have a resounding echo.

"He _is _still here, dammit! And you know what? You're right, he will change, he'll be happier!" Piper screamed at the top of her lungs, and had her voice been any higher pitched, only dogs would have been able to hear.

"Oh, I don't know, yes he'll grow up with a father this time around, but you Ms. Piper Halliwell should know better than anyone, you **cannot** fight Death. Or have you forgotten that the Chris you knew 'had to live with knowing that something happens to you' as you so delicately put it?" Gideon countered.

"No, I haven't forgotten, but we will fight this. He changed a lot, enough to have changed that as well." Piper sighed, approaching this difficult subject with logic.

"Ah, you Halliwell women have always been feisty, but let me point out, you'd have to know _when_ to change it in order to change anything at all." Gideon announced in a 'Holier than thou' voice, as if to say he were all knowing.

"You know, don't you." Piper said, it was a statement rather than a question. "You know when and what happened, and supposedly will happen?" Piper prodded, who knows, maybe Gideon could be of use to her.

"Yes, but I'm not at liberty to tell you that." This information caused Piper to grimace.

"Let's just change the subject." Piper snapped.

"By all means, but what, pray tell, did you have in mind?" Gideon asked in a smooth voice you wouldn't have believed he'd just been torturing her with had you only just started to listen.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe you telling me how to get the hell out of this damn void!" Piper answered, an action she followed with an exasperated sigh.

"I'm afraid that's up to you." Gideon said effortlessly. He was there to guide, not dictate. Piper had to find her own way out.

"I said it to Chris and I'll say it to you, cut the cryptic crap!" Piper was beyond infuriated by now. I mean, she knew her purpose was to bitch, but enough was enough!

"I know what you're thinking and trust me, I'd love for this to end as much as yourself, but until you're meant to finish, you won't. It's as simple as that." Gideon managed to get out in between sighs of boredom.

"Well that's just great!" Piper sighed and plopped down on the couch. "I can't believe we can't leave this floor. Never before did I ever think I'd need a change of scenery this badly!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed, but what would be the fun in that? If I owned Charmed, I wouldn't be as compelled to write this fanfiction.**

**Author's Note: To those that actually read this, I'll have to ask you to suspend your disbelief because from here on out, Gideon will have knowlegde of things that took place before he was even introduced into the show, and for scenes he wasn't present in. My only explanation for that other than that its integral to the plotline of this story, lets just say that in order to be Piper's guide, he needed to be informed of those things and that happened between the end of season six and when my story's taking place. Enjoy. **

"Well believe it because it's true." Gideon replied with a sigh. He didn't like this anymore than she did, but he'd just thought of a way to make things interesting.

"So tell me what you thought of Chris when you first met him?" He asked, stifling a laugh, oh how he was going to enjoy this so.

"Didn't we change the subject?" Piper asked briskly. She didn't know what he had planned, but she didn't like where this was headed.

"Yes, well, I changed it back." Gideon admitted, smiling maniacally.

"Fine," Piper sighed "when I first met Chris, I didn't know what to think of him. One of the thoughts running through my head when I first met him was that while he was quite clearly attractive, looking back on it now it's obvious as to why-" Piper stopped, giving Gideon time to admire her lovely cheekbones before resuming. "He was also intensely aggravating. He was so cocky, every time I looked at him with that smirk, I wanted nothing more than to smack it off his face." She breathed before she realized the weight of what she'd just said.

"Why a-" She started, but was abruptly cutoff.

"Ah, but you did so much more than that, no? You Halliwell women have always been ones for the theatrics." Gideon stated, his smirk growing wider with each word. Piper looked at him quizzically before he continued. "Does blasting him into a dresser ring any bells?" Gideon questioned, he felt giddy as he saw the horror appear on her face and the regret in her eyes. Piper blinked twice as she felt her eyes begin to brim with tears.

_So this is where he was taking this, he's gonna guilt trip me._ Piper thought. Well, she couldn't say it wasn't working. "But I-" She began in her defense before Gideon cut her off once again.

"Were under the influence of Mother Nature?" he finished for her. All Piper could manage was to nod. "Yes, but transformations work like Andres, the rage demon. They work with who you are and only serve to amplify what already felt. Needless to say, regardless of the transformation you were tempted to blow him into smithereens. I dare say, I never would have thought you to abuse your own child." Gideon finished. More interesting indeed, this was quite fun.

"You can't say that, I-we couldn't have known!" Piper said whilst trembling, threatening to cry those unshed tears.

"Honestly Piper, anyone with eyes could have known, all you had to do was look at him. Chris had your mannerisms, your cheekbones as you previously pointed out, and Leo's eyes!" Gideon countered.

"You didn't see it either, none of the rest of you did!" Piper choked out.

"Ah, but it wasn't our job to see it, no one is at fault more than you for missing what was right under your nose! You're his mother; it's a mother's job first and foremost to always know her own child. No matter how far in the future they may have traveled from." Gideon finished flatly.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: This is me _NOT _owning Charmed. I repeat, me-Charmed-ownershipNO**

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, hope you didn't have to wait too long. I realize its short, but enjoy what this chapter has to offer, which isn't much, but I hope all my readers enjoy it anyway. **

As if Piper wasn't infuriated enough already. "What, you spend a week with Barbas and you take it upon yourself to do his job?" Piper questioned in an icy whisper.

"That only applies if its working." Gideon answered musingly, with his thumb and index finger on his chin.

"You know damn well that it's working, you twisted son of a bitch!" Piper couldn't help it; she was letting her emotions get the best of her.

It was her outburst though that gave Gideon the opening he'd been hoping for. "You've got quite the mouth on you. Do you talk to your children with that mouth?" He asked as a smile began to form on his lips.

"I-" Piper never seemed to get a sentence out.

"Ah, ah, ah" Gideon admonished, a holier than thou air about him. "That was a rhetorical question. Simply because I already know how you talk to your children." Gideon was just plain grinning now. Piper groaned inwardly as she had a sneaking suspicion as to what he was getting at.

"You definitely weren't the most hospitable person. Nor were you the most polite, I mean laughing at him when your beloved grandmother implied he was incompetent? That must have bruised his ego." Gideon waited a bit before continuing, letting what he'd said sink in. Piper wanted to defend herself but found herself at a loss for words. She sat in silence and waited for Gideon to continue. "Yes, I guess you could say you had complete disregard for your usually sweet demeanor when it came to Chris." Gideon summed it up for her. Piper wanted to argue, but knew he was right. She wasn't going to lie, and therefore gave the most natural response.

"I guess you could." She replied, emotionless.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Yadda Yadda Yadda-the gist is I do not own Charmed. **

**Author's Note: Thank-you to all my lovely reviewers, this goes out to everyone who has enjoyed it so far, especially since its your encouragements that had me finish this chapter and begin chapter six all today, so here it is, Chapter Five. Enjoy. **

"Ah, but what were my favorite things you said to him?" Gideon questioned, pretending to be wracking his brain, as if the things she'd said weren't on the tip of his tongue. "Hmmm….." he said, once again with his index finger and thumb cupping his chin. Gideon continued this charade for what seemed like an eternity to Piper. Piper was working unnaturally hard to put up an emotionless front. On the inside however, she was silently pleading with him not to say what she knew to expect. Gideon finally began to speak. "Honestly I don't know which I love the most. There was 'I will get my son back!' The tone you used and the conviction of 'my son' would be heartbreaking to anyone. However it couldn't have been as bad as the exchange between the two of you." Gideon flashed a bright smile and winked. "Do you remember that exchange?" He asked, knowing full well she did.

"'He brings his shield up around me; he thinks I'm a threat.' Chris pleaded with you, trying to get his point through your thick skulls. But not one of you would listen. In fact, the only thing you had to say was" Gideon paused, savoring the stony look on Piper's face, knowing she wanted to protest. "'Yeah, well, so do I!' You screeched at him. How cold is it of a mother to say she thinks of her own son as a threat? Even if you didn't realize the relation, that's a cold thing to say to anyone whose mission is to save the world." Gideon finished for now, knowing he hadn't even gotten to the good part.

His constant pausing for dramatic effect was driving Piper insane. What's worse is that she knew he was just waiting to mimic words she'd spoken over a year ago. Words she never wanted to hear again. She knew he was just waiting for the opportune time to say them. However, she refused to admit it. In her state of denial, it came as a shock to hear the words spoken for the first time since they'd originally left her mouth. "'I don't want to see you anymore!' You said to him. You told your own son who adored you that you never wanted to see him again. Your son, who was trying to save the world, save you _AND _your sisters, who were downright awful to him largely due to your influence. Y-" Piper cut him off. "What is that supposed to mean? I had nothing to do with their feelings towards him. They disliked him on their own accord." She was aggravated that Gideon was trying to imply she'd conspired with her sisters to hate him. Piper wasn't about to let him shatter her completely, her interruption was proof of that. She'd fight when it was justified. Hearing him repeat those words, words she'd spoken over a year ago, hadn't felt as mind-numbing as she'd expected them to. Unfortunately, that wasn't a good thing.

It wasn't a good thing because she had become accustomed to hearing those words every night. They haunted her dreams and had caused many a sleepless night for her. Every minute she spent with Chris, whether it was feeding him or rocking him, or putting him to bed, those words echoed through her head. She couldn't escape them. When she'd thought the worst was over, Gideon took her to a place she only ventured on her darkest of days.


End file.
